The Price He Paid — page 252: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

MAX INTERVIEWS COUNCILOR MOSER. 243 a woman happy. You, with your bright sunny temperament, would fade away by that man’s side, would pine away and die. You do not know him, child; he is not worthy of your love.” Gabrielle gently freed herself from his embrace. “Do you think it is my own happiness I am seek- ing? No; what I wish is to be at Arno’s side when -all are forsaking him, to share his fate—his dis- grace, if it must be. That is the happiness I look for, and of that, at least, no one shall deprive me!” There was infinite, pathetic tenderness in her words. George’s gaze rested sorrowfully, regret- fully on the youthful creature who had so quickly learned all a woman’s devotion and self-sacrifice. “Let us part, then,” he said, calling up all his self- control. “You are right. With so absorbing a passion in your heart for another, you could not be my wife. After the avowal you have just made, [ should have released you without any entreaty on your part. Do not weep, Gabrielle. I have no ill- feeling toward you; I reproach you with nothing. All my enmity is for him who has robbed me of you. You were the joy, the very life of my life. How I shall bear to live on, now that you have left me, I know not. Farewell.” | He drew her to him once again, once again he pressed his lips to hers, and then hurried from the house he had entered with such high hopes, now all fatally shattered and wrecked. Gabrielle remained alone, weeping no longer, but with a dull unspeak- able aching within her breast, a thrilling sense of pain and loss. She felt that, with George’s love, the best and noblest part of her life had gone from her. CHAPTER XIX, MAX INLERVIEWS COUNCILOR MOSER. “Well, thank Heaven this wretched business has - come to a satisfactory end at last. It made me des- _perate to think I was the cause of it. I congratulate you with all my heart on your release, father.” - Eomilecboo “S (E(0)